John Wall

Expectations are at an all-time high in Washington, where the Wizards are banking on newly acquired point guard John Wall to lead them to the playoffs during his first year in the league. It’s a tall task, but one this high-flying rookie feels confident he can accomplish. "I'm a franchise guy that they can start over and rebuild with -- and then add more pieces to it," Wall says. "We got a chance to be good."

Appeal

John Wall has it all. This handsome 20-year-old superstar has a multimillion dollar contract, his own signature line of Reebok sneakers, a phone brimming with celebrity contacts, and 100,000 followers on Twitter. In fact, the only thing missing from his charmed life is a beautiful woman to share it all with. That will likely change in the coming months as Wall’s desirability grows with every triple-double and game-winning shot he records.

Adding to John Wall’s enormous appeal is the fact that he has a pretty decent head on his shoulders, as evidenced by his 3.5 GPA in his second semester at Kentucky. "People thought I wouldn't finish school or blow past it since I knew I was going to the NBA," he says. "It made me feel good because people say I'm not smart enough or I don't take my school work seriously. But I took it seriously both semesters and finished with a great grade point average." Female suitors might want to take that into consideration before trying to play mind games with this supremely gifted star.

Success

Dwyane Wade and LeBron James, watch out because John Wall is bringing his own heat to the court. You know you’re doing something right when Barack Obama takes time out of his busy schedule to offer an assessment of your talent. “[John] Wall is a terrific player,” Obama recently told NBA broadcaster Marv Albert. “He's got NBA speed, NBA body, great jump shot, unselfish, really impressive. There's only upside for that kid.”

America’s chief executive isn’t the only one singing Wall’s praises these days. Wizards' head coach, Flip Saunders, has called him one of the most intelligent players in the NBA, and the Knicks' head coach, Mike D’Antoni, believes Wall is “one of the fastest, most physically gifted players we have in the league.”

Wall appreciates the accolades, but he understands he still has plenty of work to do if he hopes to fulfill his tremendous potential. "I'm working on all the angles on my jump shot," he says. "My jump shot is the key thing. Guys go on the pick-and-roll and will force me to knock down shots. I want to be one of those point guards who knocks down shots you have to get over the top. I want to make it easier on my teammates."

John Wall Biography

You wouldn’t know it to look at him now, but John Wall’s childhood was fraught with tension and unimaginable heartbreak. The son of a convicted armed robber, this Raleigh, North Carolina, native would visit his father every weekend at one of the state’s correctional institutions. It couldn’t have been easy seeing his father behind bars, but Wall made the best of the difficult situation. “I was just happy to see my dad and talk to him,” he says. "We could hug. We could touch and everything."

john wall loses his father

Sadly, their relationship was short lived. John Wall’s father was diagnosed with liver cancer in 1998 and passed away the following year. Wall had difficulty coping with his father’s sudden loss and began lashing out at those around him. "So much anger built up,” he admits. “I was mad at everything. I did not trust coaches, people. Anytime somebody told me something, I just said, 'You don't know what you are talking about.' I did not want to believe nobody for some reason. That's just how it was."

john wall finds a mentor

John Wall got in a series of violent skirmishes with classmates before getting help from LeVelle Moton, a veteran coach who ran a local youth basketball camp. Moton took Wall under his wing and helped him to unleash his considerable energy on the basketball court. "Once I figured it out, I just said, basketball is my escape,” Wall recalls. “It was the best way for me to do it." Free of having to prove himself with his fists, Wall became a dominant player on the hardwood and went on to win his first of many MVP awards the following year at Moton’s camp.

john wall finds salvation

Although John Wall’s game was beginning to progress he wasn’t out of the woods just yet. His reputation as a problem child followed him to Broughton High School where head coach Jeff Ferrell cut him from the varsity basketball team during his sophomore year. The demotion devastated Wall and he promptly transferred to Word of God Christian Academy where he would be given a chance to showcase his skills. The school’s no-nonsense approach and emphasis on academics had a positive impact on Wall and he soon began flourishing on and off the court.

john wall becomes a star

John Wall enjoyed a tremendous breakthrough that summer when he was invited to attend the 2007 Reebok All-American Camp in Philadelphia. His speed and athleticism amazed observers and he was named one of the top five prospects at the star-studded event. “That's when I realized things were going to change,” he recalls. “I started getting listed as the No. 1 point guard in the nation. I knew everything was going to change then.”

john wall leads the holy rams to the state championship

And change it did. John Wall’s voice mail began filling up on a daily basis with messages from college recruiters all around the nation. That attention increased tenfold the following year as he went on to to average 21 points, 7 rebounds and 9 assists per game while leading the Holy Rams to the North Carolina Class 1A State Championship game. Wall’s heroics earned him universal praise as well as invitations to attend the Nike Hoop Summit and the Jordan Brand Classic, where he was seen by many of the NCAA’s top movers and shakers. After much deliberation Wall eventually committed to the University of Kentucky where he would have the chance to learn from former New Jersey Nets head coach John Calipari.

john wall is named a consensus all-american

John Wall’s collegiate career got off to an auspicious start on November 16, 2009, when he nailed the game-winning shot against Miami University in his heavily hyped debut. That dramatic moment set the tone for the rest of his outstanding freshman season as he would go on to lead the Wildcats to their 44th SEC Championship while breaking the school’s longstanding freshman scoring and assists record. Wall’s sustained brilliance earned him SEC Player of the Year honors and he finished the season as a consensus all-American along with fellow Kentucky freshman DeMarcus Cousins. "This means a lot to both of us,” Wall said afterward. “I'm surprised and glad we both made it. We had to learn a lot as freshmen and we were able to help our teammates along the way."

john wall is drafted by the wizards

John Wall declared himself eligible for the NBA Draft on April 7, 2010, and was promptly selected with the first pick overall by the Washington Wizards on June 24, 2010. He has since won the Most Outstanding Player award at the 2010 Las Vegas Summer League and a staggering 67.9% of NBA general managers have chosen him as the prohibitive favorite to win Rookie of the Year honors in a recent poll. That’s a lot of pressure to heap on a 20-year-old, but Wall insists he’s up for the challenge. “Every time I go somewhere, I feel like there's been that target,” he says. “You're going to get people saying you're overrated and things like that, and they feel that they should be in that position. But all I do is block it out, concentrate on the task at hand and help my team win basketball games. I try to stay humble and hungry.”